Friday Favorite...proceed with caution!

Drum roll, please...I am about to reveal my top-secret cinnamon roll recipe. Okay, it's not so top-secret since anyone who asks for it, gets it...but these babies are sooooo good, they should be top-secret! (This is for you Kelley...since I always think of you when I make any kind of cinnamon rolls! I blame you for my freshman(and sophomore!) weight gain!!!)

Beware!!! It is entirely possible to gain 10 pounds just by looking at these pictures! And a word of advice...only make these when you have reason to deliver them to neighbors, give them to multiple friends, or have a big group gathering...they are so rich, you really can't (or shouldn't) eat more than one (or two!) :)

They look tricky...but if you have a breadmaker (and I firmly believe that everyone SHOULD have a breadmaker!) just throw all the ingredients in there and let it do the work for you...just set on the dough setting and take out, fill with cinnamon sugar filling and roll into shape! Couldn't be easier!!!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Rolls:
1 ¼ oz pkg active dry yeast
1 c warm milk
½ c sugar
1/3 c margarine, melted
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 c all-purpose flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. In a large bowl, add the sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, and flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball using your hands lightly dusted with flour. Put in bowl, cover and let it rise about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. (Or put all ingredients in breadmaker on dough setting.) Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide. It should be about ¼ inch thick.

Filling:
1 c packed brown sugar
2 ½ tsp cinnamon
1/3 c margarine, softened

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the surface. Working carefully from the top (a 21 inch side) roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the rolled dough into 1 ¾ inch slices and place 6 at a time, evenly spaced, in a lightly greased baking pan. Let rise about 20 minutes (or until they look like they're ready!) Bake at 400 for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown.
While rolls bake, combine icing ingredients.

Icing:
8 TBSP margarine, softened
1 ½ c powdered sugar
¼ c (2 oz) cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla
½-1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy. When rolls come out of the oven, coat each generously with icing. (the recipe says it makes 12 rolls, but I must make mine much smaller because I usually get about 20 rolls)

Okay, and just one more handy hint...use dental floss or thread when cutting your rolled cinnamon rolls. I keep a package of floss in my kitchen just for times like these! Does everybody already know how to do this??? Just get a good working length (about 18 inches) of floss. Place the middle of it under your cinnamon roll dough (after it's already rolled into a spiral) where you want to cut it. Bring up both ends of the floss, cross them, and pull tight so that the floss cuts right through your dough. This way you don't end up with smashed cinnamon rolls. I know it sounds crazy, but it works like a dream!!!